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Canning Report, July 2012

After heading out of town for five days, there was some garden tending and harvesting in my very-near future. This morning’s haul – fennel bulbs (no idea what the hell I’m going to do with these things, but I will soon learn!), summer squash, pickling cucumbers, a handful of grape tomatoes, and a few (blossom-rotted) Romas. I need to get that under control for sure.

July:

Hot-Cumin Pickled Summer Squash (4 jars) – Cumin and summer squash? What’s not to love? This recipe is from Canning for a New Generation. The author uses a LOT of apple cider vinegar in her recipes, which I am just not a huge fan of. Basically, I end up cutting the cider vinegar in half and using plain white vinegar to get to the correct total required.

Turmeric Refrigerator Pickles (4 jars) – Again, this recipe is from Canning for a New Generation, based on the Persian Tarragon Pickle recipe. Since I didn’t have tarragon, I used my nose to make some spice modifications and added turmeric and celery seed to the called-for garlic, coriander seeds, and hot chiles. I didn’t read through the recipe when I chose it, but I was happy when I discovered they were refrigerator pickles. No need to open up the pores this morning over a boiling, bubbly water bath canning setup! I also decided to slice them thinly into rounds, like the delicious side of pickles you get with your meal at Twenty Tap, one of the best little spots in Indianapolis (particularly if you like beer and fried cheese curds).

Ooo, rosemary and lemon – that would be a great addition! They were PRETTY good, but I think I might need to turn down the heat a little. Chris wasn’t all that into ’em, I don’t think, but I am totally going to do it up again. We have another five or six giant bulbs still in the ground, too!

I’m super excited about the garden producing again. I can’t wait for adventures in tomato canning.

It’s an interesting book! She also offers up some different recipes to use many of the canned items – lots of things from different cultures and combinations I would never dream up on my own. Check it out!

I’ve decided to keep the rest of the fennel growing and let it flower/go to seed. Our big Easter Egger, Beaker, also LOVES the fennel fronds, so I just can’t bring myself to cut them back entirely.🙂